This is made very clear in the fourth chapter of Course Design, which covers many of the details, both obvious and surprising, that must be considered first when developing and then when composing an intended learning outcome statement. That is, their appear to be two distinct steps outlines in this chapter (in much greater detail, of course): developing a solid intended learning outcome, and expressing this ILO in such a way that others are easily able to ascertain the objective. This also makes it easier to teach to that specific objective.
This communication of the ILO is very important in the successful presentation of a course design. A succinct and clear ILO statement is also evidence of a clear objective and purpose for the lesson or course, meaning that the more effectively one is able to communicate the ILO, the more focused and likely the more effective the lesson plan/course design will be. This chapter also details several different types of ILOs, many of which can appear in combination in certain lesson plans, and most if not all of which will certainly b incorporated throughout the progression...
From purely academic goals such as the absorption of information to the acquiring of new skills and even to certain behavioral objectives, ILOs run a wide gamut, and this chapter helpfully explains how to differentiate between different learning outcomes, as well as providing some insight as to how they can be integrated into more comprehensive and effective lesson plans and course designs. Other ILO factors, such as the construction of cognition, are also detailed in this chapter, but in a more cerebral and less directly practical manner.
The design of the ILO seems like it should be more simple than that of the course/lesson rationale, but the level of detail that these authors bring to the subject seems to prove the incorrectness of this appearance. The ILO is one of the most essential parts of the lesson plan, to be sure, and this chapter does an excellent job of showing that essentiality through the amount of consideration that the details of the ILO receive. Again, by breaking the chapter p into smaller chunks the authors created an understandable and detailed map of a complex task.
